Chapter 7: Where You 'Gone Run To?
by jjbenzix7
Summary: Joss will soon discover that there is more to Carl Elias than she could ever have imagined. As the clock ticks down, John is on his way back from Greece. When he finds out that Joss is missing, his anger and rage explodes when he discovers that the last person she was seen with was Carl Elias.
1. Episode 1: Alone

**POI Fan Fiction Story: Love In Numbers**

**Chapter 7: Where You 'Gone Run To?**

**A/N: **_This POI Fan Fiction Chapter picks up where God Mode left off, but with different twists and turns. I've taken Elias character to a whole new level. As you will discover, there is a dark side of his personality that lurks deep within. The cabin will provide the perfect setting for him to act upon the deviant sexual demons he harbors and have managed to keep hidden from all who thought they knew him. The only two people who really know about his past are John Reese and Harold Finch. When John discovers that Joss is with Elias, he unleashes rage and anger on anyone who gets in his way of finding and rescuing the love of his life. John and Detective Fusco race against time to try to rescue her before it's too late._

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**Episode 1: Alone**_ –_Joss attempts to save the life of a man she loathes, crime boss Carl Elias. Feeling left out by John and Finch, and with Fusco under investigation, she has taken it upon herself to come to the aide of Elias after HRs crooked cops plot to "**take him out**". She has risked everything to do what she thinks is right, regardless of his life of crime. After rescuing Elias, Joss has no clue what to do next or where to go. Soon, she will discover that there is more to Carl Elias than she could ever have imagined. As the clock ticks down, John is on his way back from Greese with Agent Shaw. When he finds out that Joss is missing, his anger and rage explodes. Discovering that the last person she was seen with was Carl Elias, and knowing who he really is, John and Detective Fusco must race against the clock to find her before it's too late.

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**Excerpt: ****_"_**_This was his last chance to revisit the dark side of the inner demons he had suppressed for so long. Becoming a notorious crime boss fell right into his love and weakness for something more sinister. He could kill and get away with it. He could expand on his sick, twisted desires." _

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**Chapter 7: Where You 'Gone Run To?**

Music and words from the spectacular song - "Sinnerman" by Nina Simone:

"_Oh Sinnerman, where you gonna run to? Sinnerman, where you gonna run to? Where you gonna run to?  
All along dem day. Well I run to the rock, please hide me. I run to the rock, please hide me. I run to the rock, please hide me, Lord._

**Episode 1: Alone**

Joss had just thrown caution to the wind and rescued a man she loathed with every fiber of her being. She wondered if maybe she had made the biggest mistake of her life, not to mention her career. Putting her life in danger and for what? Joss knew John would be pissed if he found out what she had done, but she'd just have to deal with him later.

She continued to drive blindly into the dark of night with no clue where she was going or where to hide Elias, at least until she could think of her next move. Joss wasn't sure how this was going to end, but one thing she was sure of... _murdering the son-of-a-bitch would be a hell of a lot easier!_

After finding out that Cal Beecher was murdered, and Detective Terney lied about the gun on the perpetrator to try to frame her for murder, she was trying to piece it all together in her mind. It was now apparent that she could no longer trust anyone within the Precinct.

When Joss was sure that she had driven far enough away from the city and HR men, she pulled over to the side of the road to regroup her thoughts and to try to reach Detective Fusco again. She had to try to get help from someone. Joss knew that it would be just a matter of time before HR would have cars out searching for her and Elias.

As if the target on his back wasn't big enough, she had to go and stick one on hers. _This was just too damn much for her to handle right now_, she thought as she glanced over at Elias sitting quietly with a stoic look on his face.

_"Care to tell me where we're going, Detective?"_ he smugly asked.

_"Care to tell me what the hell you did to piss off HR men, Elias?"_ she responded, her question reciprocating his.

_"What __**did**__ you do Elias? Piss off the entire Precinct?"_

_"It's possible Detective, you know me, rubbing people the wrong way __**is**__ what I do…remember?"_

Joss could see that Elias was passionately enjoying the tit-for-tat he was engaging in with her, and she was not going to give him that kind of satisfaction. He was a persistent son-of-a-bitch if nothing else, and had no intentions of stopping.

_"Tell me Carter…mind if I call you Carter?"_ he asked, not waiting for an answer. _"Why in the hell did you save me back there? I mean, I know I'm not your number one fan. So what's the deal? What are you planning to do with me?"_

Joss desperately wanted to reach over and slap that silly grin off his damn face, but she managed to restrain her anger. She continued to drive in the dark of night, searching her mind for answers and coming up with nothing, not one damn thing.

_"He's going to come after you, you know. Detective Terney. He's coming for you Carter."_

Joss glared over in his direction. The look on Elias face was cold and stern. She knew what he was trying to do. He wanted to see her sweat, wanted to see fear in her eyes, but she was not going to give it to him.

_"He's not one to reckon with. Terney's a cold-hearted bastard. You should have taken him out…killed him while you had the chance Detective. That's what I would have done. You're not going to be able to hide from him. He __**will**__ find you." _

He slowly turned his head in her direction. She caught a quick glance at him and the darkness in his eyes gave her chills. For a brief moment…it wasn't Elias. By now, Joss had heard enough. As far as she was concerned this conversation was over.

Elias knew he'd pissed her off and had given her a hell of a lot to think about. The look in her eyes said it all. She was afraid, trying to hide it, but he could smell her fear. He'd smelled fear on many, right before their untimely demise. Elias took pride in knowing that he was a mastermind at manipulation, and the Detective was easy target.

He had managed to evade justice for years, keeping his past highly guarded from many who thought they knew him. Now he was going to make sure Detective Carter would learn just who she was dealing with when the time was right.

This was his last chance to revisit the dark side of the inner demons he had suppressed for so long. Becoming a notorious crime boss fell right into his love and weakness for something more sinister. He could kill and get away with it. He could expand on his sick, twisted desires.

Joss tried, unsuccessfully, to contact Detective Fusco again and again. With John halfway across the world in Greece, she knew she couldn't enlist his help, but right now, she'd rather have the fighting skills of John and the technical skills of Finch to help her get through this.

He'd warned her... John told her not to help Elias, but she ignored him and did it anyway. There was no way in hell he would understand now, why she felt the need to do what she had done. She just hoped he wouldn't fly off the handle with her when he return from Greece.

Her only hope now was with his sidekick, Harold Finch, but she was not exactly on a buddy-buddy line with him either. Lately, he'd been a bit stand-offish thinking that she was interfering with John's work. But Joss knew Finch, he'd come around soon enough.

She also knew that this was not the time to prioritize friendships. He could either say _yes_ or say _no_, and at this point, even a _maybe _would suffice. Anything would be better than her options now. Joss dialed Finch number and crossed her fingers.

_"Hello Detective…"_ he answered nonchalantly. _"What can I do for you?"_

_"Oh, thank God Finch! Thank God you answered!" _she said, knowing that he was her only hope.

This was definitely one time that Joss was happy to hear his creepy voice. Usually it irritated her but she never let on to him that it did. Even though the static on her phone was clouding the conversation, she managed to convey to him what she needed.

Time was running out for her and Elias. All she wanted Harold Finch to do was trust her and provide her with a little assistance. As much as Joss wanted to tell Finch that she was trying to protect Carl Elias, she couldn't, it was too much of a risk.

Finch, a man of means, was more than willing to help. Once he knew what Detective Carter needed, it was a done deal, no questions asked. Her last request bothered him a bit, and the fact that she made reference to the word _we,_ made him wonder who might be with her.

He suspected that it could be Elias, but Finch was not so sure that Detective Carter would risk so much for someone like him. Joss made him promise not to discuss what she was doing with anyone, especially John. Finch thought it odd of her to make such a request knowing that John would do anything for her.

As with others who were watching, he was aware of the love Detective Carter and John Reese had for each other. Although their hectic work schedules had them going in different directions, they'd always managed to find their way back to each other.

Finch made a mental note to himself not to be standing anywhere near John when he finds out that Joss might be putting her life in danger to help Carl Elias.

It was now approaching midnight and both Joss and Elias were tired, cold and hungry. Finch had given her directions to a small cabin he owned, located about eighty miles from the city in a remote location in the woods. The description was perfect for what she needed to do. Once they arrive she would be able to keep Elias hidden for a while until she could figure out her next move.

Finch assured Detective Carter that the cabin was decent enough. He'd used it several times before, just to get away from the noise and crowded streets of the city. For now, he generously offered it to her for as long as she needed it.

Joss knew that Finch was a pro at off-handed sarcasm, and he'd made her laugh with his last statement, as if he knew that Elias was with her.

_"The only thing you'd have to worry about Detective are the wild animals that may come out to feed, but then again, there's always __**Elias**__ at your disposal. No one would ever know." _

She could tell that he was trying furtively to get her to confirm the passenger in the car when he put emphasis on the name _"Elias"_, but she was not about to do that. It was bad enough that she had put her own life on the line. She was not about to put his life on the line too.

Meanwhile…back at the Library things weren't going good at all. John and Shaw had lost track of the Greek investor, Mr. Alastor Gallaga. John called Finch and asked if he could track any recent flights leaving Greece, there was a possibility that Mr. Gallaga could have boarded a flight out during the early morning hours.

At some point he'd slipped past John and Shaw. They had been tracking a stand-in for two days before realizing the mistaken identity. With the machine now controlling itself and playing tag with everyone, the race for new ownership had now heightened. Many prospective buyers and seekers were in a deadly race for control. Anyone caught in the crosshairs did not stand a chance. The stakes could not be higher.

Meanwhile…Joss was getting a little edgy. Time was ticking by slowly, and finding the cabin was not turning out to be as easy as she'd thought. Finch assured her that it was only about an hour and a half away from the city, but she had surpassed that distance and then some. Joss knew that she would have to backtrack and get back on the main highway, which would lead her right up to the cabin door.

Elias had fallen asleep twice within the last hour. After sleeping most of the way he awoke feeling refreshed and alert. Now, he seemed to think that it was his civic duty to take verbal jabs at the expense of Detective Carter.

_"Well…well…well, Detective, it seems to me you're on your own in this one. Ever thought of doing this for a living?"_

He knew that making Joss seem as if she was incompetent at her job would almost certainly put a stick in her craw, and that was exactly what he wanted to do.

_"Don't bet on it Elias…it's not over yet. Rescuing selfish pricks like you __**is**__ my job."_

Joss knew that she could not let him get the best of her, but he was not going to let that stop him from trying. If anyone could get under her skin, he could. The more she responded to his antics, the more Elias felt that he was in control and not her.

_"By the way Detective, I've been meaning to ask, how's that handsome son of yours doing these days? How is that whole military camp thing working out for him? I was thinking…maybe when this is over, you and I could visit him and make a family day out of it or something." _

He glanced over at Detective Carter with conceit in his eyes. _This should do it_, he thought, smiling as if he'd climbed Mt. Everest. Maybe he should have thought first before opening his mouth. Driving at high speed, Joss hit the brakes hard enough for his body to lunge forward. The tires skidded and screeched across the highway as smoke engulfed the rear of the vehicle.

Elias head pounded the dashboard with full force. Blood slowly trickled down the side of his face from the gash on his forehead. The rim of his glasses bent and briefly dangled from his ear before falling to the floor of the vehicle. Dazed and confused, he braced for the worse, knowing that he had went too far.

Joss snatched her revolver from the side of her seat where she'd conveniently placed it, and stuck it directly into his face. He could see the rage in her eyes as she spoke with intense, suffocating anger.

_"Go ahead Elias, you heartless son-of-a-bitch!"_ she shouted through clenched teeth. _"Go ahead! Give me a damn reason to do what I should have let HR men do to you back there!" _

Trembling uncontrollably with rage, she almost demanded a dare from him. Joss wanted him to say just one more thing about Taylor, and she would make sure he would never speak her son's name again.

Holding the gun in his face, she thought about how he'd kidnapped her son to use as a bargaining chip. Joss was about to go where there would be no turning back and shoot an unarmed, handcuffed man, but she didn't give a shit.

_"Go ahead, give me a reason! Do it Elias! Move…one inch, just one…inch, and I will end your fucking life right here…right now!"_

Joss did not take her eyes off Elias. She wanted desperately for him to give her a reason to pull the trigger. Her anger was almost crippling, he could see it in her eyes and on her face.

Elias felt as if he had succeeded in his endeavor to control her at will. He'd pissed her off. As he slid back into his seat, he smiled knowing that he had seduced her mind with anger and rage. Knowing that what he had in store for her, would fit right in with her passionate rage. The darkness he harbored within made him crave more, but now was not the time.

Joss knew that she had let the bastard get to her again and had to pull it together. Her hands trembled with rage as she continued to point the gun in his face. She wanted to pull the trigger but knew she'd be no better than HR crooked cops.

The tension in the car was thick as she drove in the direction of the cabin. If Finch directions were correct, they should be there soon. Joss began to question her own sanity and reason for saving Elias as her emotions ran high. She had nobody to blame but herself for what she had become. The confusion and anguish she was feeling had more to do with Harold Finch and John Reese than anyone or anything else.

She had allowed them to break down her moral principles. They did this to her. They courted her intelligence, seduced her determination to help others, and enticed her willingness to help them do things that were immoral, questionable, illegal, and sometimes unforgivable.

_"Moral Compass my ass"_, she thought as she remembered the day John allowed her to meet him after she had chased his ass all over the city. How could she be so blind to what they were doing? Now he was the love her life, and her heart would not let her convict him.

A haunting silence surrounded her and Elias as they got closer to the cabin. The anger he'd provoked in her gave him reason for pause. This time he knew that the Detective would kill him. The rage in her eyes showed no reason for her to care one way or the other what happened to him.

He could feel it in the way she trembled from head to toe as she snarled at him, but now was not the time to test her morality. He had other plans for her. The reason she'd rescued him, the reason she chose to bring him to a secluded cabin, it was all coming together, fitting perfectly with his plans.

She had tapped into a side of him that very few knew about. Now he craved to be the man he used to be, to do the things he used to do, and she would be the perfect comeback for what was yet to come, if his plan worked.

Elias shook his head to try to regain his focus. He needed his glasses but knew that she would not assist him with anything, not now, not after making her this incensed. He knew he had to back off and let her take back control of things. This approach of breaking her down, really was not working in his favor right now. When Elias spoke to Detective Carter again, it was almost with apologetic self-pity and timid fear.

_"Detective, I'm…maybe I went too far. Look, I apologize if I did. Really…I apologize." _

Joss remained silent, still fuming with rage and anger. He swallowed hard before asking the next question. As pissed off as she was, he was not sure what would follow.

_"Detective…think there's a chance that you could…maybe…no chance you could wipe the blood from my face…is there? Maybe help find my glasses?" _

He was trying to show a softer side, but this did not lessen the anger and rage Joss was feeling. She could care less about the blood on his face or his damn glasses. She was pissed…very pissed!

_"The way I hear it Elias, blood is your fuckin' specialty. You should be used to the damn taste by now!" _

She was in no mood to pity the son-of-a-bitch. Joss dared not look at him for fear she'd be tempted to pull her gun out and pull the trigger. Spotting his glasses next to his feet, she picked them up and pushed them onto his face with force. Cleaning the blood from his face was not an option.

They both realized that there was nothing more for either of them to say to each other. Elias had tapped into a side of the Detective even he was not prepared for. The remainder of the ride to the cabin was quiet and somber.

**Episode 2: The Cabin**

**Excerpt from "The Cabin"**_ - "There was something creepy about the look and feel of the place, from the frozen lake to the eerily dark cabin, and the thick overlapping fir trees. It reeked of something evil and sinister. Joss could hear the quiet calmness of water flowing nearby, she was not sure which direction it was coming from, but the sound of flowing water was soothing."_


	2. Episode 2: The Cabin

**Chapter 7: Where You 'Gone Run to?**

**_Sinnerman_** by Nina Simone

_"Well I run to the rock, please hide me. I run to the rock, please hide me. I run to the rock, please hide me, Lord. All along dem day. But the rock cried out, I can't hide you. The rock cried out, I can't hide you. The rock cried out, I ain't gonna hide you guy. All along dem day. I said, Rock, what's a matter with you rock? What's the matter with you, rock? Don't you see I need you, rock? All along dem day."_

**Episode 2: The Cabin**

Joss and Elias finally arrived at the cabin and discovered a little paradise on earth in its beauty. It is within the walls of the cabin, Elias began to expose the true identity of what caused him to harbor such dark and twisted desires toward women. Unknowingly to Joss, she has now placed herself in great danger, which could soon prove greater than anyone could know, especially with what she is about to discover.

**Excerpt from "The Cabin" -**_ "He learned how to love and hate her at the same time when she'd call him to her bed. The same dungeon of hell he had been forced to live in when he didn't comply with her twisted desires became her final resting place." _

Finally, around two in the morning, Joss and Elias arrived at the cabin. The surroundings were very dark, no lighting anywhere within miles. There was something creepy about the look and feel of the place, from the frozen lake to the eerily dark cabin and the thick overlapping fir trees. It reeked of something evil and sinister.

Joss could hear the quiet calmness of water flowing nearby, she was not sure which direction it was coming from, but the sound of the flowing water was soothing.

_"My God...this is a horror scene waiting to happen. Finch…I hope you're right, cause from where I'm sitting…this shit don't look too good"_, she uttered as she scanned the area from the window of the vehicle.

She parked in front of the two-story cabin. It was only the first week of October and already a freakish snowstorm had hit the city, dumping knee-deep snow everywhere. If this was any indication of what winter was going to look like, they were in for some cruel insufferable weather the months ahead.

Heavy snowfall had blanketed the grounds, trees and rooftop of the cabin. The frozen lake looked like an ice rink, all that was missing were the skaters.

She was hoping that this place came equipped with the necessities of heat and a stove, because from the looks of things, they were going to be there for a few days. The snowfall would probably get worse, making it almost impossible to open the front door by daybreak.

Joss had never been inside of a cabin before. She'd seen them while watching TV, and a few here and there when traveling, but to actually have the chance to stay in one, she could only hope it would be an experience she'd never forget. There was no doubt that it certainly would be.

After exiting the vehicle and then helping Elias out, the two of them walked up to the front door of the cabin. Joss already had her gun in her hand in case he tried anything, but now, she wasn't so sure that she wouldn't have to use it for something else. Elias stood silently staring up into the dark sky with his hands cuffed in front of him. The blood that trickled down the sides of his face had dried into his skin.

_"This is some freaky Michael Myers bullshit right here", _she said, catching a quick glance at Elias.

Joss was already feeling as if she'd just been cast into a horror movie, but one glance at Elias didn't help the situation at all. He was rocking back and forth with weird sounds coming from his mouth and dried blood on his face. There was nothing about that moment made her feel any safer. She could only stare at him in dismay.

_"That shit ain't funny Elias, shut the hell up!" _she said, rolling her eyes at him.

_"Look, I don't know about you Detective, but there is no way in hell I'm going in there. Where are we? What is this place anyway?" _

_"What did I just say Elias? Didn't I tell you to shut the hell up? You let me worry about where we are. Besides, you don't get a free pass to question me, I question you! Shut the hell up and let me think dammit!"_

Joss looked over her shoulder to confirm that no one followed them there. One thing she had learned as a cop, criminals run rapid during the midnight hours. She searched for the key to the front door. Finch told her that it was visible if she knew what to look for._ "Whatever the hell that meant"_, she thought, fingering over the door and looking beneath the doormat.

She removed a small flashlight clipped to her pants pocket and used it to look closely at the detail of the wood design of the door, just as Finch had instructed her to do. _I'll be damned_, she thought, _hidden in plain sight, right where he said it would be_. Joss was pleased to have found it so quickly. Finch often made finding things a little more complicated than need be.

Somehow, he'd managed to engrave the key within the wood of the cabin. There were two small buttons, one red and one blue. He'd told her that t_he red button would shut off the alarm, and the blue button would unlock the cabin door_.

Finch also mentioned the spare hand key inside the cabin in the desk drawer near the stairwell. She could use that key if she needed to leave the cabin and run an errand or something, that way she wouldn't have to keep shutting on and off the alarm system.

As the door slowly opened, Joss pulled Elias in front of her and pushed him inside first. _Never can be too careful, _she thought_, this __**is**__ the wilderness and I don't do bears and shit, hell…better him than me. _Once inside, she flipped the light switch on. Suddenly, as if the walls were speaking to her, she noticed the magnificent design of the cabins' interior. Elias even marveled at its beauty. Both of them stood in the doorway with their eyes and mouths wide open.

_"I'll be damned! This shit is __**tight!**__"_ she shouted as she turned in a circular motion taking in the cabin's beauty.

She threw the large black overnight bag she was carrying, over by the sofa. Joss walked around the room inspecting every breathtaking area. This place was paradise, a little heaven right here on earth as far as she was concerned.

The tantalizing beauty of it almost made her not want to give Elias the pleasure of being set up so comfortably in a place like this. In the realm of things, she truly believed that _shitty_ people belonged in _shitty_ places, not paradise.

Standing quietly beside a retreat style sofa, Elias was very impressed with the cabin's unique structure and design. The structural elements of the walls were stunning. He could see that this two-story cabin was costly and painstakingly well put together.

The interior design of the Northern White Cedar cabin was indeed a beauty to behold.

The cathedral ceilings throughout the cabin were adorned with arched windows from the floor up, which seemed to flow in unison with the structured wood patterns and design. The colossal stone, double-sided fireplace looked as if it owned the entire wall. Equally majestic was the gorgeous mahogany-trimmed stairway, which curved from left to right, depending on which side you used to reach the second floor. To complete the look, a country styled kitchen, stove and hearthstone oven were further enhanced with the beauty of marbled-granite countertops. The oak cabinets and a walk-in pantry aligned perfectly with the round mahogany table for two with matching chairs. The hardwood floors bore a glossy shine that mirrored images around the room.

Everything about this log cabin sitting on acres of rich land, surrounded by a beautiful lake and groves of fir trees, screamed luxury, peace and tranquility. _This was almost too perfect_, Elias thought as he scanned the room. _Rockwell couldn't have captured it better. _The cabin was exactly what he needed for what he had in mind. Earlier, he'd overheard the Detective's conversation with Harold Finch. He heard enough to know that the man had lots of money at his disposal, and from the looks of the cabin, he knew that money was **not **one of Finch worries.

Elias walked in front of the couch and was about to sit down when he caught a glimpse of Detective Carter standing near the stairway smiling in awe of its beauty. His face became flushed, his eyes darkened, his smile changed to obscured grimness. Joss was lost in the unique design of the cabin's interior, and didn't notice him staring at her. His eyes roamed from the top of her head down to her feet. Every inch of her made him crave the twisted desires he harbored within.

She was different from the other women in his past. The women he'd tried to love, only to be rejected by them. He didn't like rejection. He didn't like it at all. But **_she_** wouldn't do that to him. Not Detective Carter. She was different. Elias thought of her need to fight back with passionate anger and rage, as a deep desire to love him, make him earn her love. The thought alone seductively intoxicated his mind. This one, the fighter...he'd keep for himself.

His deep-seeded hatred of women stemmed from his early teen and adult years. He had become a victim of sick, twisted psychotic abuse. His mother was the love of his life, **_literally_**. He'd learned to love everything she had done to him from age twelve until his late twenties.

Her life as a heavy drug user and street walker ended abruptly when she was severely beaten and raped repeatedly. At the age of twelve, Elias learned to take care of his mother. Bathe her, feed her, provide for her needs. Her physical health got better but her mental state of mind diminished drastically.

At the age of fourteen, he became more useful to her in other ways. He'd learned how to love his mother and hate her at the same time, when she'd call him to her bed. The same dungeon of hell he had been forced to live in when he didn't comply with her twisted sexual desires, became her final resting place.

Through the years as he got older, Elias became an exact replica of his mother, doing to women what she did to him. He discovered their weaknesses and learned to use it against them. Only one woman managed to escape his sick, twisted desires. Only one.

Elias watched as Joss removed the black pea coat she was wearing to reveal a taut black sweater which stopped just above her round hips. Her black pants were sleek, tight and hugged every inch of her ass, thighs and legs. For a minute he had lost himself in **_her _**beauty. In a failed attempt to compliment her, Elias proved once again, why keeping his mouth shut would be better for all around. He had an unusual knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

_"I don't know who you're fucking, but he must really love you to let you borrow this place for awhile. I mean, look around…this has to be a roll in the hay trade off", _he said as he looked over at her smiling like a hungry hyena.

Silence invaded the space between them. When Elias realized that he'd stuck his foot in his mouth again, he tried to rectify his shitty comment and quickly apologized to her. Joss glared over in his direction with disgust in her eyes. She could only think that _an ass-hole like him __**would**__ charge by the hour_.

It was obvious that Elias wanted to say more, but he didn't want to upset her any more than he had already done. If kissing her ass would win her over, then that was exactly what he planned to do. She rolled her eyes at him and walked away. Half way up the stairs, Joss looked back over her shoulder and gave him a stern warning to stay put.

_"Listen you…try anything stupid like running, and I want have to screw around with your ass anymore, the animals will take care of that for me…so go ahead, do me a favor." _

_God he loved the sassiness she portrayed_. He seemed to bask in the glory of her warning, half-heartedly smiling and thinking that s_crewing around was just what he had in mind_. Elias leaned back on the sofa feeling relaxed and eager to get started with his plan. He'd forgotten how confined his arms were, and the fact that he had to take a piss. His thoughts remained on her, thinking that she'd be _one hell of a fucking ride_.

Joss made her way to the second floor. When she entered the bedroom, her eyes soaked in the elegance of a room fit for a king. Complete with cathedral ceilings and a large picture window with a gorgeous view of the balcony and lake, it was spacious and impeccably decorated.

Adjacent to the bedroom was a master bath. Scanning the bathroom she spotted something she'd dreamed of owning a hundred times over. The white claw foot cast iron tub took her breath away. The need to touch it was overwhelming. She kneeled down in front of it and slowly ran her fingers across the rim, her eyes closed. For a brief moment she thought of John. She could almost picture the two of them soaking in it together. The thought alone was arousing feelings inside of her that only John could satisfy.

On the way back down the stairs, Joss decided that she would cuff Elias to the bed. She'd caught a quick glance at the headboard and admired it's unique design. The center of the headbaord was designed with thick rods, which would be perfect for what she had in mind for Elias. With him out of her sight, she'd have time to think about what her next move would be without having to deal with his bullshit.

Elias was so lost in his own serpentine thoughts, he didn't hear her walking back down the stairs, not at first. He'd placed his hands comfortably between his legs, and was deeply fantasizing about Detective Carter. Something about the cabin just made him want to screw her brains out. He imagined the two of them doing things that would only satisfy a sexual sadist.

He leaned his head back and moved his body in a sexual motion as he pumped his own meat. He licked his lips and moaned in satisfaction of how he imagined she would feel. Elias slowly opened his eyes just in time to see her body walking down the stairs, but it wasn't the Detective. The image walking down the stairs toward him was his mother.

Clearly frightened by the horrific image walking toward him, he jumped up from the couch, sweating profusely, his eyes beholding fear. Elias backed slowly away from the female figure walking toward him, as she inched closer and closer. He looked crazed and disillusioned, raising his arms up to his face, desperately trying to obscure the image.

_"What in the hell is wrong with you?"_ Joss asked, standing arms length away from him.

By now he was doubled over and moaning, feeling sick to his stomach. He'd figured out that it wasn't his mother. Now he realized that the haunting images were coming back. After being diagnosed years ago with paranoid schizophrenia, he was told that he would have to take mental stability drugs for the rest of his life, but Elias was not one for following orders. He'd stopped taking the prescribed medication over twenty years ago.

Joss watched in confusion as he began to mumble inaudible words to himself. She didn't know whether to call for back up or just put him out of his misery.

_"Elias! What the hell is wrong with you dammit?"_ she asked again, this time shaking him.

As if nothing had happened, he smiled at Detective Carter and told her he needed to take a piss. She'd already spotted a small bathroom located down a hallway, which led to a side door of the cabin. Joss grabbed his arm and pushed him in front of the toilet. _"Hold still dammit"_, she said as she unlocked the cuff from one of his arms. _"Try anything and I will shoot you, you understand?" _

She took a few steps back, leaned against the opened door and pointed the gun directly at him. She was not going to take any chances, Joss knew what the bastard was capable of. Finding it to be quite a distraction with her standing there staring at him, he made a callous remark.

_"This is fucking ridiculous Detective. If you're going to stand there gawking at me, I can think of a hell of a lot more we could be doing in here that'll put a smile on both our faces, no what I mean?"_

_"Shut the hell up and piss Elias, that's what you said you had to do, now piss before I shoot you in your ass!" _she shouted, proving once again that she was definitely not the one to fuck with.

Joss stared at him. She wondered what kind of sick bastard she'd convinced herself to rescue. Needling her emotions was something he seemed to enjoy with great passion.

As Elias began to relieve himself from a full bladder, it sounded as if the floodgates had opened. His body trembled as he moaned in satisfaction from the relief of emptying his bladder. _"Damn that feels good!"_ he shouted, looking over at her with a sheepish grin on his face. When he was done, his pants pulled up and hands washed, Joss pointed the gun at him, locked the cuffs, and directed him upstairs to the bedroom. Speaking when he shouldn't just seemed to come natural to him. He couldn't help himself.

_"Don't hurt me Detective, unlike John, I like it nice and slow."_

He licked his lips and wiggled his tongue at her, while humping the air, whispering to her, _"I am going to fuck you good." _

She'd had just about enough of Elias and his filth. Joss pushed him into the bedroom and down onto the bed, with his back resting against the headboard. She unlocked one wrist at a time with the gun pointed at his head, locking each wrist to one of the rods in the headboard. He could slide his arms up and down, but nothing more.

Elias brazen, sexual bluntness revealed a side of him that Joss had not seen before. Her danger radar was sounding the alarm loud and clear. As she was leaving the room, he let out a ghastly laugh that made her hair stand up on the back of her neck. If putting fear in her was what he was going for…he'd just succeeded. Joss quickly walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She wanted to put as much distance as she could between the two of them.

For almost thirty minutes, Elias yelled obscenities at her from the bedroom. He sang crazy songs that he made up in his head. She could hear the bed rattling as he yanked his arms trying to release himself from the cuffs. A couple of times she thought she heard him talking to someone.

Joss wanted to peek in on him but wasn't sure what she would see or find when she opened the door. Covering her head with a few of the pillows on the sofa, she found a way to muffle some of the sounds coming from the bedroom. Little did she know, her decision not to go upstairs to check on Elias, would prove to be a very costly mistake.

The night grew brutally cold and winds blew hard. Joss added more wood to the fire. She felt a moment of relief when she could no longer hear him anymore. It was almost three in the morning. Although her body was tired and eyelids heavy, she could not fall asleep. Her thoughts were only of Taylor and John, the two men in her life that she loved unconditionally.

Unable to fall asleep without thinking of her guys, she drank a glass of red wine and snacked on a pack of cheese crackers she found in the cupboard, satisfying her thirst and hunger. Afterwards, Joss pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and removed her boots. The cozy fire and dry wood crackled in the fireplace reflecting a beautiful golden glow which lit up areas of the room, bringing with it comfort and warmth. The longer she stared into the fire the more hypnotic it became.

Joss covered herself with the red and black plaid blanket. It felt so warm and cozy, as if a thousand arms were hugging her. Staring into the dimly lit fire she reflected on the many things and people who had affected her life. So much had changed and she hadn't really taken the time to deal with it.

Taylor was now attending the Military Academy in Virginia. Her nemesis, Cal Beecher, had been murdered. The relationship between her and John had blossomed and they were now engaged.

Then there was this…

She was one month late. Forty-five days had passed without a visit from mother nature. Her next doctor's appointment for a complete check up was weeks away, but the way she was feeling lately, Joss knew she'd probably better stop by her doctor's office as soon as she return to the city.

She was afraid of what she had already diagnosed the symptoms to be. She had been through so much having to raise Taylor alone, and wouldn't change a thing about those wonderful years she spent raising her son, but now, Joss wasn't so sure if she could do it again. John would no doubt be overjoyed, to say the least, and she knew he'd be the perfect father, but...?

Just thinking about the situation she'd find herself in was too much for her to handle right now. So many questions ran through her mind when she thought of the possibilities.

_"How would she tell John? How would he feel about it? Would she continue to work? Would John rather she didn't work anymore?"_ Too many questions...with no answers.

She shook her head to relieve her mind of all of the silly thoughts she was thinking. As the remaining hours slowly ticked by, her thoughts faded to darkness and in minutes she was sound asleep.

Meanwhile…John and Shaw were back on the trail of Gallaga. They now had him pinpointed in the small town of Corfu, staying at the luxurious Bella Mare Hotel, where the two of them had checked in two days ago as a happily married couple.

Known for taking what he wanted, Gallaga became fixated on the beautiful and exotic seductress, only known as Anastasia, aka Samantha Shaw. Her beauty captivated him. His demands were high and money was not a problem. He had invited her to have dinner with him, and saying **_no_** to him was not an option.

Knowing that his demand could work in their favor, John made sure that Sam would be available to Mr. Gallaga, by staging a marital spat in front of him. After confronting Anastasia about an illicit affair, John, aka Mathan, vowed to leave her behind and return to Italy. The argument became even more heated and intense when in tears, Anastasia slapped Mathan and ran upstairs to their hotel room.

Mathan stormed out, closing the hotel account and leaving a bewildered Anastasia at the mercy of Gallaga. He summoned one of his men to bring the beautiful young woman to his table. After dinner, he invited her up to his room. Gallaga was short, weighed over two-hundred pounds and bald, but he had an unusual sexual appetite for petite women. Nationality and race was not a problem, as long as they would perform the kinky sex acts he would illegally persuade them to do.

His love of all things raw would soon prove to be his demise. Two hours later, Sam contacted John and informed him that the mission was complete. The suspect had been rendered null and void. John and Shaw knew that they had only one hour to get out of Greece, leaving no traces of their visit or existence behind.

The next morning Mr. Gallega's accounts had been emptied and all of his money distributed to several charities throughout poor cities in Greece. Traces of his accounts had been deleted and burned. With Gallaga no longer a threat to obtaining the Machine, Finch was even more determined to regain full control of it.

Later, his nude body was discovered slumped over a dining table, face down, drowning in a bowl of raw oysters. It was later determined that the cause of death was food poisoning, but an investigation was underway after his bodyguards described the beautiful young _blonde_ seductress named Anastasia, to investigators.

On the plane heading back to New York, John and Shaw engaged in tepid conversation. As Special Ops Agents, they had performed similar hits many times before. It had become more common to do so than not. What didn't come easy for them after a hit, was engaging in natural conversation. When the opportunity presented itself, if only for a moment, it made them feel normal.

_"Are the two of you married?"_ she asked John, smiling at him seductively.

_"Not yet, but it's in our future plans. What about you?"_ John asked, unable to shy away from her beauty.

_"Me? Yeah, right. I relinquished all rights to live a normal life when I accepted this job. Which is why I don't understand your situation. If you don't mind my saying."_

John sat quietly and stared out of the window of the plane for a minute. Just that quick she had given him something to think about.

_"Look, maybe I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean to insinuate, John…"_

_"No…no, it's all right. I understand what you're saying. It's just that…I try not to think about what could happen to someone I love as much as I love her and her son. I would die for them. They're my last chance at having a little normalcy in my life. To say that I can't have that anymore, is to accept that I don't exist. That I'm not human. I refuse to accept that."_

Sam slanted her head to the side and placed her hand on his. The softness of her touch made him think of Joss. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, slowly sliding his hand away from hers. She wanted to say more, but Sam felt that she had said enough already. She leaned back, closed her eyes for a moment, and reflected on the man she once knew and loved, and the beautiful daughter she gave up to live a life of non-existence.

At that moment she envied John for having the courage to take back a part of his life. The part with a heartbeat. She'd do anything to have her lover and daughter back in her life, but he'd moved on, taking their daughter with him.

Back at the Precinct the five o'clock shift was slowly dragging in. Detective Fusco had pulled an all-nighter. He was now working a few of Carter's cases since no one had seen or heard from her since the night before. He was really starting to worry about her. She had been acting suspicious two days ago after he checked her computer files and discovered that she'd put in a request for an additional week off, stating that it was a family emergency. Phone calls to and from her phone were not getting through.

Fusco also discovered that she had pulled up all of the information she had at her disposal, pertaining to Carl Elias. Everything was beginning to make sense to him now. Even the alert call he'd received regarding the ambush killing of several cops and Detectives.

Two people were reported fleeing the scene of the crime. One of the assailants was already in police custody, and in the process of being transferred to another prison facility. An unknown masked assailant opened fire on the officers, killing several and fleeing with the prisoner.

Fusco knew that Elias was being transferred, and wondered if maybe Carter had anything to do with what went down. The evidence that she was involved was staring him in the face, but he did not want to believe that she would have anything to do with saving Elias ass.

He was really worried about her. _This was not like Carter_, he thought, drinking his fourth cup of black coffee for the day. Fusco had to do something to keep himself awake until her shift ended. Since he unwillingly had to fill in for her, he'd have to stay two more hours.

They had been working together for some time now, and he knew enough about her to know that she was always punctual and dedicated to her work. _To up and leave like this without contacting anyone, something just didn't seem right with the whole damn thing_, he thought.

Detective Fusco decided that if Carter had not called or come in by the end of the day, he would start his own search party to find her. He called Finch earlier and asked if he knew of Carter's whereabouts, but Finch divulged nothing, even if he did know where she might be.

Fusco also tried to reach John, but lately, from what he'd seen, John was preoccupied with the hot little number he had been seen parading around the city in the company of. Fusco would occasionally get calls from the two geniuses when they needed his help with a person of interest, but lately they had slowed the pace down a bit.

Back at the cabin the temperature continued to drop rapidly. Simmers of smoky moist air slowly seeped from the lake surrounding the cabin. Morning was awakening with hints of brightness in the sky. Inside the cabin it was hauntingly quiet. The fire had burned out and all that was smoldering in the fireplace was ashes and a few pieces of damp wood that failed to burn. The stairway, dimly lit, looked spooky from the glow of a small lantern sitting on a desk near the stairs.

Upstairs in the bedroom there was total silence. A faint glow from early signs of morning light had partially brightened the room. Elias lay quiet and still. Not even a snore or whimper. He laid there somberly staring up at the ceiling. His thoughts lingered on Detective Carter. He would not dispose of her like he'd done the others. If only they'd given him what he wanted, things might have ended differently for them. Elias had convinced himself that Joss wanted him as much as he wanted her.

In his twisted mind she belonged to him now and not John Reese. That could only explain why she had brought him to this place. Why she wanted to be alone with him here. This wasn't about John anymore. This was about the two of them, right here, right now, being given the chance to consummate their love for each other, and he was not going to disappoint her.

Elias knew that he had to make things right with the Detective if he was going to win her love. His mind was taking him to a very confused, dark place. It was a place where love truly existed between the two of them. The choice was hers.

In love or death, one way or the other, they would be together...

**Excerpt from Episode 3: Cabin Fever Chills** - "_Joss ran toward the stairway just in time to see him standing at the top of the stairs_ _smiling and_ _looking down at her. Elias had nothing on except a towel wrapped around his waist." _


	3. Episode 3: Cabin Fever Chills

**Chapter 7: Where You 'Gone Run To?**

**_Sinnerman_**_ by Nina Simone_

_"So I run to the river, it was bleedin. I run to the sea, it was bleedin. I run to the sea, it was bleedin. All along dem day. So I run to the river, it was boilin. I run to the sea, it was boilin. I run to the sea, it was boilin. Along dem day. So I run to the Lord, please hide me Lord. Don't you see me prayin? Don't you see me down here prayin? But the Lord said, "Go to the devil". The Lord said, "Go to the devil". He said, "Go to the devil". All along dem day."_

* * *

**Episode 3: Cabin Fever Chills**

**Synopsis:** Joss was shocked when she discovered that Elias was able to free himself from the cuffs. Now somewhat afraid and confused, she reluctantly believes his lies to make amends and work together to get out of the mess they are in. Meanwhile, three days later when Detective Fusco tells John about his suspicions of Joss rescuing Elias from HR crooked cops, John loses control. When he confronts Finch and discovers that he knew all along, the situation is not handled with kid gloves.

* * *

**Excerpt:** _"He knew that he had to calm her down, gain her trust, get her to see that he was not going to hurt her. But Joss continued to hold the gun on him."_

* * *

**Episode 3: Cabin Fever Chills**

The cabin was lit up from rays of sun shining through the windows. Joss slowly opened her eyes. This was the first time she had gotten any rest or sleep since rescuing Elias. She had thrown the last two pieces of wood on the simmering fire earlier, and knew that she'd have to prepare to go out into the freezing cold to get more.

Joss sat up and reared back on the sofa. Looking at the clock on the wall, it was almost eight. She removed the hair tie and shook her head to loosen her hair. It felt good. Realizing that she was not in the city, getting up and not having to check into work felt good. Waking up in a beautiful place like this, definitely felt good. _Although it would have been better waking up in John's arms_, she uttered smiling at the thought.

Finch warned her that she was going where the days are short, and the nights are long. She could only agree, especially after the night she'd had, Finch was just about right. Joss stood up from the couch, stretched her arms in the air, and let out a long-winded yawn. She felt a little dizzy and sat back down quickly. This had been happening to her a lot lately. After waiting a few minutes, she stood again, at least the room wasn't spinning this time.

Just as she was about to reach for her coat, she heard the sound of water running. It wasn't the sound of water flowing down a stream or a creek. No, this sounded more profound. She slowly turned her head and glared up toward the bedroom. It was coming from upstairs.

_"Oh, hell!"_ she screamed, _"Elias!"_

Joss ran toward the stairway just in time to see him standing at the top of the stairs smiling and looking down at her. Elias had nothing on except a towel wrapped around his waist.

_"What the fu…"_

_"Good morning Detective"_, he said, smiling cheerfully down at her. _"Boy, what a fucking…beautiful day! How 'bout some breakfast, you must be starving."_

He walked back toward the bedroom using a hand towel to dry the water from his ears and head. Joss stood silent, frozen in place. She thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her. _There was no way in hell that son-of-a-bitch could have gotten loose_, she thought.

Confused and anxious, she made a mad dash for her gun from the overnight bag where she had hidden it. She searched frantically through the bag, dumping her clothes and other items all over the floor, but it wasn't there. It was gone.

Joss could feel her heart beating rapidly, as if it would burst right through her chest. She dropped to the floor looking under sofas and chairs, thinking that maybe she had mistakenly laid it down somewhere and it had fallen to the floor.

_"This shit can't be happening"_, she mumbled under her breath. _"That bastard got loose, but how?"_

This was not how she pictured the day starting. Still kneeling on her knees, searching under sofas and chairs for her gun, she felt a presence behind her. Joss knew it was him, she could smell his cologne.

_"God, oh God, oh God, this cannot be happening._ _This shit cannot…be happening!"_ she uttered.

Joss slowly stood up from the floor. She could feel the heat from his hot breath on the back of her neck.

_"Looking for this, Detective?"_ he calmly asked sniffing her hair as he quickly closed and opened his eyes.

She hesitated for a brief second, then slowly turned around to see Elias standing there with her gun dangling from his finger. As if in a stand off, the two of them glared at each other, but he was the only one holding a gun. Her police training quickly kicked in and with one swift movement of her hands, she was back in possession of her gun, pointing it directly into his face.

Elias remained calm as he assured her that she had nothing to fear, he had no intentions of keeping it, but Joss was not buying his bullshit. She was angry and confused with the gun still pointed in his face. And right now, the odds were not exactly in his favor.

_"How in the hell did you get loose Elias?!" _she shouted, her eyes firmly fixated on him.

Not one to fear threats, he smiled at her, turned, and casually walked toward the kitchen.

_"Freeze Elias, g'dammit! Take one more step and I will blow your damn head off! Don't fuck with me, I mean it!"_

Joss was angry as hell. She wanted answers and she wanted them now. Her anger did not deter him. He started walking into the kitchen as if she'd simply said nothing. This time, to get his attention, she cocked the gun. The clicking sound of the gun being cocked, gave him reason to pause. He stopped dead in his tracks. Elias knew that all she had to do was pull the trigger and he'd be a dead man.

_"I want you to tell me right now dammit, how in the hell did you get loose Elias?" _

Joss hands were shaking, palms sweaty, and her heart was beating rapidly. She was not going to lower her gun, not until he told her what she wanted to hear. Elias turned around slowly and walked back toward her. He was smiling and speaking softly, trying to show her that he was not a threat, at least not for now.

_"Detective, you really need to calm down a bit"_, he said calmly, but she was not open to anything he had to say to her right now.

_"Stop right there dammit! Don't make me shoot you Elias! I have no problem right now with putting a damn bullet through your head."_

The Detective was in ready, aim, fire mode and he knew it. He was going to have to gain her trust somehow. He knew that it was not going to be easy, but in order for things to go as planned, he would have to gain her trust.

_"Look Detective, I realized last night that you had been right all along. If we are going to get through this, we need to work together. I realize that now. So please, put the gun down and let's try to get ourselves out of this mess. Seriously, we need to do this together before they track us down." _

He knew that he had to calm her down, gain her trust, get her to see that he was not going to hurt her. But Joss continued to hold the gun on him, even as he turned and walked back into the kitchen and started preparing breakfast for the two of them.

_"Detective, please…put the gun down. I just want to prepare breakfast for us, and afterwards we'll talk. Now….go and take a nice hot shower, and by then breakfast should be ready." _

Elias turned away from her and began removing breakfast items from the refrigerator and cupboards. With his back to her the look in his eyes was sinister and cold. Joss still didn't trust him enough to put the gun down. She knew enough about Elias to know that he was not to be trusted.

_"What? Are you fuckin' kidding me Elias? Why in the hell do you think that I would just turn my back on you, put the gun down, and go take a shower? You're out your damn mind! Turn around! What the hell do you have in your hands? Turn around! Let me see your hands dammit!" _

Elias slowly turned and held both hands in the air. In one hand were three eggs, in the other, a cast iron skillet.

_"Okay Detective, are you satisfied?"_ he asked as he placed the eggs in a bowl on the counter, and the skillet on the stove.

_"No dammit, I'm not. I tell you what you need to do, you need to tell me right now, how did you get the cuffs off?" _

Elias could see that convincing her to trust him was turning out to be one hell of a task. He'd done everything but kiss her ass, and she was not backing down. This was going to take a lot of sucking up on his behalf if he wanted things to go as planned.

_"Listen, if I wanted to hurt you Detective, I would have done so earlier when I freed myself from the cuffs. I came downstairs and stood over you, and for a while, watched you sleep. I had to find a way to free myself when you didn't respond when I called out your name. I figured you were sleeping. I was hungry and needed to take a piss, so I did what I had to do. I don't know about you Detective, but…don't seem like I was trying to hurt you, now does it?" _

He turned and started cracking eggs into the bowl, looked over in her direction and smiled just to give her one more moment of reassurance.

_"It took a while Detective, but I got the message. Trust me, I am not going to hurt you. I just want us to work together, deal?"_

He pushed his specs back into place, after they'd slightly slid down his nose. This was all too confusing to Joss. She frowned in disbelief at what he was saying. The bastard still had not divulged his instrument of choice to free himself from the cuffs.

He sounded sincere, but she wasn't sure as she wrestled with reason. _Maybe the time alone cuffed to the bed had given him a lot to think about. Maybe he realized that fighting against her would do nothing to help the situation._ She just wasn't sure about his sudden attempt to suddenly…play nice.

Joss could feel her heart giving in to what he was saying as she continued to wrestle with reason. _Maybe they can work together after all_, she thought. _If what he'd said a few minutes ago was true, there was no need to fear him. If he really wanted to kill her, he could have, earlier._

She lowered the gun and cautiously walked toward him into the kitchen. Standing next to him as he whisked the eggs for scrambling, Joss was willing to try his suggestion to work together.

_"Alright_, _I'll try to work with you Elias. We do need to help each other get out of this situation, and fighting is not going to help either of us…agreed?"_

_"Agreed"_, he said, reaching over to shake her extended hand.

Elias mixed the batter for the pancakes and started a pot of coffee. Joss stood silent and in awe of what he was doing. This was too weird, even for her. _A crime boss cooking breakfast_, she thought, giggling to herself.

_"You're working that skillet pretty good Elias, sure you haven't done this before? _

_"Are you kidding Detective? I would give the top chef of the world a run for his damn money if we were in a cook off."_ he said, smiling at her while preparing the pancake batter.

_"Funny though…"_ she said.

_"What?"_

_"I don't know…seeing a crime boss cook, I guess. I don't know whether to call you Mr. Mom or Mrs. Doubtfire. Problem with that though, both were a little sexier than you Elias." _Joss smiled at the thought and humor of what she'd just said to him.

_"Yeah, Mrs. Doubtfire kind of grew on me too."_

_"I'm sure", _she said waling out of the kitchen.

Joss turned and walked toward the stairs to go take a shower. She felt a little more at ease around him, and kept a tight grip on the gun in her hand. Elias noticed the gun, and knew he'd have to get her to trust him enough to not worry about leaving it around him. He had to make her think that he wouldn't use it against her if she left it lying around.

_"Thought you trusted me, Detective?" _

_"Yeah…right"_, she said with a sly grin. _"I trust you like I trust a starving fox in a chicken coup. The gun stays with me."_

_"Alright, alright, I just thought we were going to try to trust each other from now on."_

Joss looked over her shoulder at Elias one last time as she grabbed the overnight bag and stuffed the clothes back in it that were scattered over the floor. Once upstairs in the bedroom, she inspected the bed where he had been sleeping. She wanted to know just how he did it. Suddenly, her eyes fell on a shiny object lying on the night stand. _"A damn nail file"_, she uttered, picking it up and inspecting it. She unzipped her bag and dropped the file inside.

Meanwhile…Finch had received a message from Detective Carter around four in the morning, thanking him for allowing her to take refuge in his beautiful cabin. She wanted him to know that even though their friendship seemed shaky at times, he'd made a dear friend for life, and she would forever be grateful for what he'd done to help her.

Joss warned him again not to tell anyone where she was hiding out for now. The case she was working on needed as little attention as possible. No one could be trusted right now. Before signing off, she kidded him about the claw foot tub, declaring that when she was done at the cabin, the tub was coming home with her.

Meanwhile…John and Shaw were stranded in a hotel together in London. After an emergency landing due to engine problems from icy weather conditions, they were lucky enough to get one of the only three rooms available.

It was small and quaint but sufficient enough for the short stay over until the next flight out from London to New York. After checking with the clerk at the front desk, John was told that the next flight out would be in about five or six hours, depending on weather conditions. He'd tried several times to reach Joss, but hadn't been able to make contact.

Now that Shaw had partnered with Finch and John, the two of them were working with each other more frequently. She found John to be someone she could spend a night or two with if the opportunity presented itself. Not being one for restrictions, she was of the mindset that a man was available before, during and after, it really wasn't a problem for her.

There was something seductively sexy about John Reese that she was finding undeniably irresistible. She hoped he was tapping into her vibes of attraction for him, but so far, he had not returned the interest.

But John had noticed her, more than she thought. How could a man not notice a beautiful woman like her? He was well aware of the attraction, but what he had with Joss was ten times better than a quick roll in the hay. He knew that if he allowed himself to open up just a little with her, things could quickly get hot and heavy.

John Reese lived by one philosophy..._"Less means more." _Besides, Shaw reminded him too much of Kara Stanton. When they'd worked together years ago, Kara was always trying to prove that she was just as much of a man as he was, in everything, including sex.

But not his Joss, she always allowed him to take full control when they made love. He craved that more than anything in a woman. And Joss knew how to love him back. He often felt possessed by her hidden passion and beauty. A passion and beauty only he had been given privilege to indulge in the pleasure of.

It was two in the morning, London time. John was lying across one of the small twin size beds on his back with his eyes closed. He didn't notice Shaw when she walked out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around her tiny body. He didn't notice when she removed the towel and stood naked before him. John realized instantly when he felt her body on top of him and her hands between his legs, rubbing and squeezing his penis. He pushed her off of him onto the bed, jumped up and stared at her angrily.

_"What in the hell do you think you're doing?"_

She stood nakedly in front of him. His body towering her tiny body by at least two feet. She reached up to touch him and he quickly grabbed her wrists, squeezing them tight.

_"You can't be serious. You…John Reese…restricted to just one woman? Don't make me laugh." _She said as she maneuvered her wrists out of his tight grip.

Unlike Joss, she was trained to free herself as quickly as he'd been trained to do. John grabbed his coat from the chair and walked toward the door, saying nothing more to her as he exited the room. Shaw's naked body fell backwards onto the bed. She stared up at the ceiling with a sly smirk on her face.

_"You'll come around soon John Reese…soon."_ She uttered as she gently ran her hands over her tiny breasts, closed her eyes and moaned softly.

John remained in the lobby of the hotel for the remaining three hours, waiting for a flight out. There was no way in hell he would jeopardize his relationship with Joss. He loved her too much to do that to her. Two hours later, Shaw emerged fully dressed. She apologized to John, which he half-heartedly accepted, keeping his distance from her until the next flight out.

Back at the cabin, Elias was getting restless. He had prepared a beautiful breakfast for the two of them, and Detective Carter was still upstairs. When she finally came down he almost dropped the plate of pancakes he was carrying to the table. Elias was completely taken aback by how beautiful she looked in colors other than black. Red was definitely her color. He knew that if he was going to compliment her, he'd better choose his words carefully.

_"Not bad Detective, not bad at all."_ he said as he placed items on the table.

_"Thanks Elias, but don't go getting any stupid ideas, and go all soft and shit. This ain't no damn honeymoon." _

Elias finished setting the table with the breakfast he'd prepared for them. He stood next to the chair, smiling as she approached the table. So far his plan was working perfectly.

_"Wow Elias, this looks good"_, she said inspecting the food on the table.

He pulled the chair out for Joss and waited for her to sit.

_"Going for the gold Elias?" _she asked looking back at him over her shoulder.

Joss was smiling as she sat and positioned herself comfortably. When he attempted to place a napkin across her lap, she knew he was taking things a little too far, and might be getting the wrong idea about why they were there.

_"Hey! Watch that shit!"_ she shouted, backing her chair away from the table and standing. _"Too far Elias…too damn far."_

_"I'm sorry Detective. I was just trying to be nice. Do nice things for you. You know, show you how much I appreciate what you've done for me", _he said as he sat down in his chair, pushing a napkin down into the front of his collar. _"Look, I'm sorry ok. I'm fully aware of the whole damn __**liberated woman **__decree you women live by these days. I just wanted to do something nice for you. No big deal, hell, it won't happen again." _

Elias was beginning to get a little pissed off. His facial expression went from pleasant to appalled in an instant. She slowly eased her chair back up to the table, her eyes firmly planted on him.

_"Well…thank you…anyway, but hell, you're taking this 'goody-two-shoes' shit a little too far, back the hell off a little will you." _

After they finished eating breakfast, Elias cleaned up the kitchen while Joss gathered more firewood for the night. There was no way in hell he would challenge her to reverse the roles, not after the way she'd overreacted during breakfast. He knew that the first thing she'd probably say was, _"Why do women always have to clean up the kitchen while you men go out and gather wood for the fire?" _

As the hours ticked by, the two of them seemed to be getting along great. In between coffee breaks they would work on what they needed to do to expose HR crooked cops. Later during the day, cabin fever began to sneak up on them. Nothing a little fresh air wouldn't cure though. The sun was shining bright, melting some of the ice and snow. It even felt a little warm outside.

Joss qyucikly fell in love with the beauty of the cabin's surroundings. They also panned out escape routes just in case they needed to leave in a hurry. She was right about how it would look during day. The scene was picture book perfect.

A stream flowed behind the trees into a beautiful crystal lake that sat a few yards away from the cabin. Groves of fir trees were adorned with blankets of snow glistening in the sunlight. Occasionally, a red Cardinal would fly down and perch on the branch of a tree, as if perfectly placed there.

Joss was in awe when she noticed a deer or two peeking out from behind trees and bushes staring at them, before scampering back into the woods from the slightest noise. The crisp winter winds that were blowing, seemed to cleanse the air from all pollution. They could not believe the majestic beauty and surroundings of the area.

For the next two days the friendship between them grew more trusting. She had begun to feel more at ease leaving her gun lying around. Elias even told her a little about his style of business as a crime boss, trying to convince her that what he was doing for the people and the city was decent and honest.

He wanted her to believe that he was protecting the territory from the Russian Mafia, and any other crime families trying to move into the area. Joss knew better though, and she sure as hell wasn't buying the shit he was selling. She just couldn't understand why he wanted to live his life as a crime boss. Joss was beginning to see potential in him as a decent human being, but the life of crime he'd chose to live, was not admirable to her.

John and Shaw finally made it back to New York. He arrived back at the Library, while Shaw had other business to take care of elsewhere. He tried to reach Joss again on her phone, but still wasn't having any luck. Finch could see that he was deep in thought about something. Whenever John stood in one spot and stared in total blankness, something was weighing heavy on his mind.

_"Thoughts…Mr. Reese?"_

John turned and looked over at Finch. He had just tried to reach Joss again, but it appeared that her phone was not working, or maybe she had disconnected it.

_"That's strange…Joss isn't answering her phone Finch. I'm worried. Try calling her from your phone for me." _

Finch knew where she was, but she'd made him promise not to say anything to anyone, especially John. He dialed her number from his phone and couldn't reach her either.

_"No, nothing here. I heard from Detective Carter yesterday John, and she sounded fine to me. From what I could gather from the call, she's working on a case a couple of miles out of the city, and helping a friend. She assured me that all was fine and she'd return soon."_

Finch wasn't sure if John believed him. The look in his eyes was not one of satisfaction.

_"That's not like her Finch. I'm going by her apartment. Maybe she left something there that would explain where she might be. Lionel haven't heard from her either. Something's not right. She's my world Finch. If something happens to her, I couldn't go on."_

John left the Library heading for Joss apartment. The worried look on his face and in his eyes made up for the silence. When he arrived at her apartment, John entered cautiously. He looked around but everything seemed to be neatly in place as always.

He went into the bedroom and immediately noticed that she seemed to have been packing to go somewhere. He ran from her bedroom closet to the bathroom, searching for things that he knew she'd take with her if she was going to be somewhere overnight.

Several of her personal items were missing. John raced back to the bedroom and began searching for a note or something, anything that would indicate where she'd gone. There was nothing there. He walked back into the living room and plopped down onto the couch with his head in his hands.

_"Joss babe…where the hell are you?"_ he uttered quietly.

His eyes focused on a small piece of paper sticking from beneath the recliner. He reached down and grabbed it. The message scribbled on the note was simple and to the point.

**_…"John, if you're back from Greece and reading this, I'm helping a friend out for a few days. I'll be home soon. Don't worry, I'm fine. Call you soon. Love you sweetie."…_**

John leaned his head back onto the couch and smiled. At least she wasn't in any danger, and he could breathe a little easier. But he couldn't be farther from the truth. He called Finch and told him about the note to ease his mind as well.

After the call, Finch couldn't help but feel guilty, and looked as equally worried. He did not like or trust people who lied, and he certainly didn't like telling one. Detective Carter had really put him in a difficult position with John, and he wasn't sure if he could keep the lie going much longer.

John locked up everything and left. He contacted Fusco to find out if he had information on the name he'd sent him earlier. Fusco was just about to go out on a call when he got the call from John.

_"Hello, Lionel…"_

_"What the hell do you want now dammit? I'm working my ass off here. Gimme' a break will you pal."_

_"Lionel…I've told you before…I'm not worried about what you do with your ass. Just tell me what you found on that number I sent you."_

_"Where's your girlfriend, what's her name…miss happy pants…can't she help you for a while?"_

_"Lionel…"_

_"Alright, alright…keep your boxers on will you…I'm sending it to you now."_

Detective Fusco sent John the information he requested, and disconnected his phone. He did not want him to call back asking for more favors. Right now, he was more worried about Carter, and wanted to focus on what she might have been working on the night she seemed to have disappeared.

It baffled him how John could act so uncaring and not even bother to ask about her. He poured himself a cup of coffee and grabbed a stale doughnut from the box sitting on the small table. One bite and Fusco was all over the clerk at the front desk.

_"Geez_!" he shouted, spitting pieces of stale doughnut out of his mouth onto the floor._ "The freakin' doughnut shop is just a few blocks down the street. You'd think someone would care enough to get some fresh doughnuts in here once and awhile, dammit!"_

Most of his coworkers were used to Fusco acting bitchy sometimes, but lately, he was worse than ever. After asking around the Precinct about Detective Carter and her whereabouts, he'd heard a few rumors about her working on something to do with Elias and the transfer that HR was conducting. It was just as he suspected.

Fusco could only hope that she didn't do anything careless, like try to take on HR crooked cops alone. He did not want to accept that analysis, but he had a gut feeling that what he was thinking might just be what she'd done.

Three days had passed and no one had seen or heard from Detective Carter. After reading the note she'd left him, John felt better, but was still worried that she hadn't called him yet. He tried to take his mind off of the fact that she hadn't called, by working a new case with Finch, which now had the two of them on a flight to California to search for Root.

After being released from the mental institute where she'd been placed for observation, Root contacted Finch from California, telling him that she'd gained access to the Machine without his help, and had received an insurmountable offer for access. She offered him a deal that gave him reason to believe that she might be telling him the truth, and if so, him and John needed to get there as quick as possible before she offered the deal to Decima.

Detective Fusco could not comprehend how no one seemed to care about Detective Carter, except him. He had asked around to everyone he thought could tell him something, and no one seemed to have a clue. He couldn't believe that John and Finch had suddenly left the city knowing that Carter was missing.

Back at the cabin, the day was beautiful, the sun was shining, and Joss was ready to go home, back to the city. They had been at the cabin for three days now, and it was time to go home. She felt that her and Elias had forged a tepid friendship with each other, and trust had developed but with some precautionary measures.

Boundaries were set and each vowed not to cross the line. They needed to be able to work together on a plan that would allow them to return to the city, and avoid being gunned down by HR men, so they worked tirelessly through the morning and evening hours to find a solution.

Elias sexual fantasies about the Detective had grown even more devious in his mind. He knew that this was his last chance to carry out his plan. He had fought his desires every night, but not any more.

Later that night, around ten o'clock, Joss felt that they had gathered enough evidence against HR crooked cops and the threat to kill her and Elias. She knew that with the evidence they had on them, she would be able to shut down the department for good.

Joss was confidant that she would be able to get the help they need from outside sources. She had already made contact with a few FBI Agents who agreed to step in and start the investigation. This was going to be one hell of a fight, and Joss knew it would place her in even greater danger.

She also knew that there would be more work she'd need to complete when she returned to the city. Although, Joss wasn't too sure if she'd even have a job waiting for her when she get back. HR had their hands in everything, and if they wanted to see her go down before the investigation began, they could easily do so. Corruption ran rampant in the city and they had plenty of power and clout.

Joss wanted to involve the FBI into the investigation, but Elias knew that he could not get involved, especially with the FBI. He knew that with his criminal record and background in foreign countries, things could quickly go south for him.

Elias was not convinced, but Joss tried to assure him that she would do whatever she could, within her power, to protect him from doing any hard time. The only thing she could not promise him was that he wouldn't have to do some time for crimes he'd committed as a mafia crime boss.

This offer did not sound promising at all to Elias. There was much, much more to his life than just being a crime boss. For years he'd managed to keep much of his past from catching up to him. The type of investigation Joss was going to have the FBI pursue, would definitely include the horrible crimes he had committed in Italy and Russia.

He had managed to keep a lid on much of his past life, but now, there was a chance that it would surface, and his true identity be exposed.

_Just when he was beginning to trust the Detective, she had to go and do this_, he thought, as they were sipping their last cup of coffee for the night, sitting in front of the fireplace.

Joss never looked up to see the look in Elias eyes when she said that he would not have to do much time in prison. She did not seem to understand that he was not willing to do any time. Going back to prison was not going to be an option for him. He would rather die first. No way in hell was he going back, and now it was time to show her exactly who she'd let into her world.

Elias concluded in his mind, and at that moment that she could not be trusted. She was just like the other women. Now, in his mind, Detective Carter had become the enemy. In his mind, she was nothing more than a selfish bitch, just like his mother. That's why the image of his mother had appeared in her body when she walked down the stairs. She was…his mother.

Joss had no clue what had just been released inside the cabin that night. She was busy packing things up so that they could leave as soon as daylight peaked. They'd had a productive day, and now she was tired and ready to call it a night. Feeling good about being able to trust Elias, she saw or felt no threat.

Morning could not come soon enough for her, so to hurry it along, Joss said goodnight to Elias and called it a night. Although it was only eleven o'clock, she wanted to get as much rest as she could for the trip back to the city.

And since tonight was her turn to sleep upstairs, the bed was definitely calling her. The trust they had developed, allowed them to begin taking turns sleeping in the bedroom upstairs, so that one would not be subjected to sleeping on the couch all of the time during their stay at the cabin. Tonight was Elias turn to bed down on the couch. Joss was not aware of it, but this arrangement would work in his favor.

**Episode 4: Violation of Character**

**Excerpt: **_"Dammit Harold! Not everything is about these fucking machines!" _He shouted to Finch as he pounded his bloody fist against the wall._ "We know what Elias is capable of. We know who he really is. Don't you get it Finch? Joss will not survive this man's brutal attack if we don't get to her in time! Now tell me where she is g'dammit! _


	4. Episode 4: Violation of Character

**Chapter 7: Where You 'Gone Run To?**

_"But the Lord said, "Go to the devil". The Lord said, "Go to the devil". He said, "Go to the devil". All along dem day. So I ran to the devil, he was waitin. I ran to the devil, he was waitin. Ran to the devil, he was waitin. All on that day. I cried, power."_

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**A/N: **To all trusted readers and fans of this ongoing POI fan fiction story, "Love in Numbers", never give up on the love shared between Detective Carter and John Reese in this fan fiction version. There will be many twists and turns along the way, but rest assure they will always find their way back. Sometimes life can be so unpredictable at the most inopportune time when things seem to be going great. Even when watching the popular TV series, the writers sometimes throw us a curve ball every now and then, and have us shouting and throwing things at the TV, but...we still come back for more.

* * *

**_What is the true meaning of trust? _**

_Trust is defined in many ways, one such as…"the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something"_

* * *

**Violation of Character**

**Synopsis: **Elias unleashes his sick, twisted desires on an unsuspecting Joss. She must now fight to stay alive, but soon realize that Elias is psychotic and sexually deranged. What he doesn't know is that Joss is prepared to fight. Trust is not an easy thing to come by, and Elias will soon find that out. Meanwhile, John gives Fusco insight into the real man behind the mask that Elias wear, as they race to get to the cabin before it's too late.

**Excerpt from Episode 4: Violation of Character - **_"Why didn't you tell me what she was doing? I could have stopped her…Harold…I could have stopped her."_

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**Episode 4: Violation of Character**

Tonight at the Precinct there were a few arrests of drunken frat boys. There were one or two bomb threats that carried no weight. Then there was the batty woman who accused Detective Fusco of trying to molest her under the bridge, when he actually tried to arrest her for indecent exposure. It had been a long day, and the night was just getting started. Detective Fusco looked up at the clock on the wall, it was almost midnight. The nightshift duty he'd taken on to cover for Carter, was killing him. He had asked around again to find out if anyone knew where Detective Carter might be.

Fusco was tired and worried after pulling all-nighters for three nights straight. No one seemed to know where she was or what she was doing. He overheard a few co-workers say that she'd gone on an extended vacation to try to deal with all that had happened recently. If that was the case, Fusco was cool with it, but it still wasn't like her not to return his calls.

He noticed that there was something about the way some of the people he'd asked about Carter, would not look at him when answering. _There's something wrong here_, he thought as he sat behind his desk tapping a pen on the tray of papers sitting in front of him. Fusco looked over at Carter's desk, it was nine o'clock. He could almost picture her sitting there ragging on him about something. In three hours, day four would mark just how long she'd been away without contacting anyone. He picked up his phone and dialed John's number.

Now that they'd returned to the city empty handed after Root sent them on a wild goose chase, Fusco felt it was time for John and Finch to open their eyes to what he thought was really happening with Detective Carter.

_"Yeah Lionel, what is it? Talk fast, I'm a little busy right now." _John said sarcastically as he punched out a man in a bar, and threw another through the glass plate window.

_"Listen hotshot, I ain't got time to chit-chat with you right now either, but this is about Carter…"_

_"Joss is fine Lionel. I dropped by her apartment two days ago and found a note she'd left for me. She's fine, trust me." _

John walked out of the bar headed for the black sedan he was driving.

_"Now, tell me Lionel, what's got you so worried, other than Joss?" _he asked as he got into the car en route to the Library.

_"Listen to me for a minute…Cary Grant. Something is wrong. I can feel it. This is not like her. Carter don't operate like this. Maybe you have your reason for not feeling a little worried about her right now, but I'm telling you, something stinks to high heaven. I found out what she was working on, something's not right." _

John pulled the car over and parked. Fusco sounded a little too serious for him to ignore what he was saying. John thought about several things… the note, missed calls, scattered clothes and items she'd taken with her, something was not adding up for him. Things definitely weren't adding up. This was not just a _friend helping a friend_ situation anymore.

_"Talk to me Lionel. What the hell do you mean, __**she was working on something**__? What was she working on?" _

_"I mean…hotshot, no one here at the Precinct has seen or talked to Carter in three days. Two hours from now will mark day four. I checked her notes and computer files. She put in a request for an additional week off, stating she had a family emergency. I've already contacted her mother, and she assured me that if there had been some sort of family emergency within the family, she'd have heard something by now. I also visited the Academy and checked on her son, nothing's wrong there. And get this…it seems she was working on the case concerning Elias transfer. Maybe if you could rip yourself away from miss happy pants for a while, you'd notice that something is not right. Three damn days and no one has seen or heard from her. Something's wrong John, I know it. I can feel it. Carter's in trouble."_

If looks could kill… the expression on John's face would have pulled the trigger. His eyes were stretched wide, his heart was beating fast, his mind running wild with _what ifs_ as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. John could faintly hear Detective Fusco shouting at him in the background, but his thoughts were only of Joss and the danger she might be in.

_"Lionel! I want you to find out everything you can about what Joss was working on that night. If Elias wasn't transferred, my guess is, she's got him. Find out all you can about what happened that night and call me back. You've got five minutes. Got it! Five fuckin' minutes Lionel, or I'm coming there and it won't be to talk!" _

John tapped his earpiece to contact Finch to ask if he had heard anything from Joss recently. He was driving erratically, trying to get back to the Library. Once he arrived, John parked the car and sat motionless, thinking about times when Joss called him when he was working cases with Shaw.

He remembered how she'd asked his advice on how she should handle the situation with the transfer of Elias, and how he had been short and direct with his answer to her, almost brushing the importance of what she was doing aside.

John remembered the meeting in the ally when Joss looked so distraught and heartbroken. He thought it was over Cal Beecher, and he'd let his jealous emotions get in the way. But there was something more in her eyes that night, and he could not reach her mind to comfort her. He was beginning to feel that he'd let her down again. In her own subtle way of asking him for help, that is what she was trying to do, and he'd ignored her.

John punched the window of the car repeatedly with damaging blows until his fist broke through the glass. His hand was cut in several places and bleeding profusely, but he didn't care. All he could think about was Joss and how he'd let her down.

_"Joss, where are you?"_ he whispered in silence.

John propped his battered hand on the steering wheel as blood dripped to the floor of the car. He was searching for something to wrap it when Finch tapped into his line.

_"Mr. Reese…did you find out who the doorman's contact was?"_ Finch asked, thinking that John was still working on the number he had given him.

_"Finch, listen to me, we don't have much time. You're going to have to finish this one without me. Joss is in trouble! She's missing and I've got to find her…."_

John had already exited the car and was walking toward the Library, but Finch response made him stop dead in his tracks.

_"No, John…wait. She's not missing. Detective Carter is not missing. I know where she is John, but she was adamant in her request that I not tell anyone, not even you. She had her reason." _

There was total silence for almost ten seconds…

_"John…are you there?"_ Finch asked but got no response. _"Oh dear…this cannot be good"_, he uttered as he prepared himself for what was about to walk through the door.

As expected, John walked into the Library and he wanted answers. He walked up to Finch, who by now, was looking down at John's blood-soaked, swollen hand, partially wrapped with a piece of cloth that was equally blood-soaked.

Finch knew that something had gone awry, or maybe it was John being John, and had gotten into a fight with someone twice his size. Whatever happened, he sure hope the person on the other end of John's fist was still breathing.

_"Where is Joss?! Where is she Harold?...Where is she dammit?!"_ he asked in a demanding tone, his face filled with emotional anger, his eyes turning red with rage.

_"She's in a safe place Mr. Reese. I promised her I would not tell anyone where she is for now. Detective Carter is working on a case and need a safe place to hide out for a while. She assured me that everything would be fine." _

Finch was trying to keep his promise to the Detective without giving away too much information. He was aware of John's need to be aggressively angry. If he could get him to calm down a bit, maybe John could understand the situation better. But the answer Finch gave him was not good enough. John wanted a location and he wanted it now.

_"Either you tell me where she is, and who she is with, or I will forget that we are friends…and you don't won't that Harold. Trust me. Tell me where she is…Now g'dammit!"_ John shouted as he grabbed Finch by his arm and pulled him close.

Finch could feel the anger generating from John's body and knew that he was ready to explode. He had to find a way to get him to calm down.

_"Mr. Reese, please…Detective Carter know how to do her job. Don't you think if she had placed herself in any kind of danger, she would have tried to make contact with someone by now?"_

John grabbed Finch by the collar, almost lifting him off the floor. He was growing tired of his bullshit answers. He knew that Finch was hiding the truth from him. He knew that Finch was just as good at keeping promises as he was, but this was not the time to be gallant.

_"You listen to me Finch…I don't give a damn what she told you to promise her. Joss is in danger and she needs my help, whether she knows it or not. If she is with Elias, you and I both know that Joss is in great danger, do you understand?!" _

John released his collar causing Finch to stumble a little. He watched fearfully as John angrily paced back and forth.

_"Dammit Harold! Not everything is about these fucking machines! We know damn well what that bastard Elias is capable of. We know who he really is! Don't you get it Finch? Joss will not survive this man's brutal attack if we don't get to her in time!"_

They both knew that there was more to Elias than anyone could possibly know. Although Detective Carter had assured Finch that she had everything under control, he wasn't so sure anymore. John was leaning against the wall with his head bowed, filled with mixed emotions, rage and anger. He almost felt defeated.

_"Why didn't you tell me what she was doing? I could have stopped her…Harold…I could have stopped her."_

Finch gave John the address to the cabin and told him that there was another person with her the night she called asking for his help, he expected it to be Elias, but he wasn't sure. John raced out of the Library, contacting Detective Fusco on the way out. It would take them at least two hours to reach the cabin, and it was now a few minutes past eleven. By the time they'd reach the cabin, it would almost be two in the morning, give or take a few minutes. Time was of the essence. Joss life was in danger and they had none to spare.

Back at the cabin…Elias sat in front of the warm cozy fireplace, staring into the flickering fire. His eyes were cold, dark and haunting. He was drinking on his second glass of Vodka, and could hear the cold winds blowing, and ice cracking in the frozen lake. The echo was just as haunting as his eyes, yet riveting, feeding into the mood he was in as he sat nurturing his crushed ego.

It was now fifteen minutes after eleven. Detective Carter had already gone upstairs for the night. He remained downstairs as planned, but tonight would be different. Elias paced around the living room, mumbling beneath his breath, thinking of what he was going to do to her.

His mind was beginning to play tricks on him again. He could see images of his mother's face each time he looked up toward the bedroom. He could hear her calling for him to come to her. Elias believed that Detective Carter wanted to do the same to him as his mother had done, control him. But it was time to introduce her to the real man behind the mask.

He was confused, erratic, scanning the room with fear in his eyes, sweating and shaking uncontrollably. He could see images of Detective Carter and his mother standing in different locations within the hidden corners of the living room. The images would quickly appear before his eyes, and just as quickly, they'd disappear. He closed his eyes and grabbed his head, but that didn't stop the images from appearing before him.

_"Please stop, please…stop, stop it! Please, make it stop",_ he repeated over and over again, quickly turning in a circular motion.

Elias repeatedly begged his mother to get away from him, waving his hands in the air as if she was standing right in front of him. He grabbed the glass of Vodka he was drinking and gulped down what remained in the glass. When he opened his eyes again, he could see the Detective standing in front of him. Elias could see that all was not as it seemed. He paced in circles and rambled on and on to himself.

_"Something's wrong. No…no, no. Something's terribly wrong. Her body, her body isn't right, her body…it's all wrong, something's wrong with her body…mother…"_

He could hear his mother's voice telling him that he knew what he had to do to the woman upstairs, and he needed to do it now. In his twisted mind, the Detective was going to have to pay for what she'd done to him.

The need to control him and not let him be a man was something his mother had done to him years ago. Something he would not accept from another woman. He'd waited for her long enough. Tonight…he would take what he wanted.

But tonight was not just about Elias. Tonight was just as much about her. Joss had learned her lesson when she reached out to help Cal Beecher. She knew that this was the night for the two of them to be at the cabin, anything could go wrong, and she was not about to go down like that.

Little did Elias know, Joss was prepared. She'd seen the way he was behaving the last three days. As far as she was concerned, trust was something earned, and Elias sure as hell hadn't earned her trust. She thought of the hell she'd put John and Finch through just trying to get her to trust them enough to enlist her help. There was no way in hell she would let Elias just walk on in with a free pass. That would be a foolish mistake waiting to happen, and she'd had her fill of foolish mistakes.

As a trained officer, Joss learned many things along the way, and there was one valuable training she learned to use to her advantage_…Gain a suspect's trust. Get them to trust you completely and you've got them._ Joss could still hear the words in her mind.

Earlier that morning while out gathering firewood as Elias prepared a quick lunch, Joss removed a second gun she'd hidden in a small compartment in the truck, near the back door. She concealed the gun in her coat pocket, went inside and added more wood to the fire. She felt a hell of a lot safer knowing it was there.

It was time. Elias poured himself one more glass of Vodka and gulped it down quickly. He gathered everything he would need to carry out his horrific act upon her. Elias knew that he had no time to waste. It was approaching midnight fast. The temperature had dropped rapidly. The coldness inside the cabin seemed to be competing with the coldness outside. He had thrown a few more pieces of wood on the simmering fire, but now…it was time.

It was time for him to teach her a lesson that she would never forget. Elias staggered up the stairs, almost falling a few times, but managed to reach the top of the stairs. He wasn't sure if she had locked the bedroom door, but as he got closer, he could see that she'd left it slightly ajar. This made entry a hell of a lot easier for him. Once he'd slid quietly inside, Elias could see that she was sound asleep.

He eased closer to the bed and stood silently over her. Joss didn't hear him when he entered the bedroom. She didn't hear him when he removed the handcuffs from the bag and laid them down next to her on the bed. She did not hear him remove the knife from his back pocket and lay it next to the cuffs.

He had the gun in his hand, not just any gun, her gun. She'd left it downstairs on the coffee table next to the sofa. But he didn't bother to check to see if it was loaded. He saw the opportunity of being in possession, and took it, with no convictions and no idea that the gun wasn't loaded.

Joss had removed the bullets from the gun earlier. She knew she would have the upper hand on him if he tried anything. Elias really thought that he had everything he needed to carry out his sick, twisted, sexual desires against her as she slept soundly.

Once everything was positioned as he wanted, he tapped her on the shoulder with the gun. Elias was not aware that Joss was awake. She'd slid her hand beneath the pillow and had it on the gun, prepared to shoot to kill if necessary.

Joss could see the dark figure standing over her. She knew it was Elias, especially since they were the only two people in the cabin. She knew that if she was going to take him down, she'd have to give him enough rope to hang himself.

Elias tapped her on the shoulder again. This time, Joss rolled over and looked up at him, her hand still beneath the pillow with a tight grip on the gun. She jumped up, eyes wide and scanned the room, portraying as much fear as she thought necessary to give him the satisfaction of thinking he had her where he wanted.

_"What the hell are you doing Elias?! Get the hell out of here!"_ she yelled, pulling the covers up close.

Elias grinned and glared down at her. He grabbed her by the hair and pushed her head back.

_"You're mine tonight…bitch! I've waited long enough. Take your fucking clothes off!...Now!"_ he shouted, pointing the gun at her and watching as she slowly began to unbutton the sleep shirt she was wearing.

_"Elias…you don't have to do this…"_ she said, knowing that she'd better be ready to shoot at will.

_"Shut the fuck up! You're moving too damn slow, take them off or I'll do it for you!" _he shouted, gripping her hair tighter.

Elias was anxious and impatient. He laid the gun down on the nightstand, grabbed her shirt, ripped it open and stood in awe, staring at her body. He picked up the knife and ran his fingers over it and at the same time, laughing and licking his lips at her.

_"Mmmmm…I am going to enjoy every damn minute of this."_ he said as he began to quickly undress.

_"You don't want to do this Elias…I'm warning you…" _

Joss kneeled in the center of the bed with the gun down beside her and her finger on the trigger. She watched, waiting for the right moment as he removed his clothes. He unbuttoned his shirt, unbuckled his pants, zipped them down and let them drop to the floor. He stood before her wearing nothing but the unbuttoned shirt. He was packing more than she thought he would be, but she could care less.

_"You owe me this. When I get through with you Detective, your precious John won't be able to touch you anymore."_

Elias lunged at Joss, trying to grab her body, but missed when she moved swiftly to the side. He grabbed her shirt as she struggled to get out of the bed. Joss knew that something bad was about to happen. She knew that she was going to have to fight if she didn't use the gun in her hand. He pulled her down onto the bed and straddled her body.

_"You think I'm fucking playing with you Detective?"_ he said, slapping her across the face, as he tried to remove her panties.

He'd just opened a window of opportunity for her to knee him in his groin. The pain was excruciating. Elias rolled off of her and fell to the floor doubled over in pain and rocking back and forth. His moans sounded like a wild animal ensnared.

With Elias down on the floor moaning in agony, Joss knew it would be just a matter of minutes before he'd regain his strength and attack her with vengeance. She jumped from the bed and stood in front of him with the gun pointed at his head.

_"Don't make me use this on you Elias!"_ she shouted.

He looked up at her with a sinister grin and crazed look in his eyes. His glasses had fallen to the floor and slid a few inches away from him.

_"You're not going to get away from me Detective"_, he said, squinting his eyes to try to focus on her, laughing and holding his crotch. _"You belong to me g'dammit! Don't you get it…we were meant to be. You can't run away from what we have together….you love me! Tell me you love me dammit! Don't you see Detective, you belong to me." _

Joss glared angrily at him, disgusted at what he was saying, realizing now that something was seriously wrong with him. Elias eased up from the floor, seething with anger. She slowly backed away from him warning that she would shoot if he didn't back off. But Elias kept walking toward her grinning and reaching out his hands to the vision he'd managed to focus on before him, trying to grab her. Joss positioned herself, aimed, and opened fire on Elias, shooting him in his arm.

He grabbed his arm, screaming from the pain as blood poured out and numbness set in, but he kept walking toward her. She pulled the trigger again, shooting him just above the knee causing him to buckle and fall to the floor. Joss stood over him and dared him to move.

_"Don't make me kill you dammit! It's over! It's over Elias."_

He could hear it in her voice. He knew that she would kill him. Elias fell to the floor screaming in pain, as blood flowed profusely from his arm and leg. She eased up on him with the gun pointed at his head. Joss grabbed his other leg and cuffed it to the bottom bedrail. She was taking no chances. She stood a few feet away from him for a few seconds, took a deep breath and exhaled to regroup her thoughts.

Joss walked toward the door, still holding the gun in her hand. She looked back at Elias lying on the floor moaning and whimpering, _"Pathetic son-of-a-bitch"_, she uttered and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her to muffle the sound of his moans.

As she got closer to the doorway of the bathroom, she could not stop trembling. Her stomach was in knots and her legs felt as weak as water. Once inside, Joss stood before the mirror inspecting her body. There were a few bruises, but not as bad as she'd thought. A visible black and blue bruise was in full display around her eye and jawbone area where Elias had slapped her.

A few bruises were artfully visible on her arms and legs. The shirt she was wearing was splattered with blood in confirmation of what had just happened. The puzzling picture was staring back at her from the other side of the mirror.

Although a bit shaken up, Joss felt good knowing that she had prevented Elias from raping her. She really didn't want to shoot him, but he gave her no choice. From what she could see, she'd left enough evidence on his body to put him away for a long time. Joss reached up to open the medicine cabinet to see if there were any aspirins inside, but her body ached all over. The few tears that were trickling down her face were tears of anger and tears of joy. She'd just defeated her attacker.

Joss fell to the floor in front of the bathtub and put her head in her hands. It was really beginning to soak into her mind that Elias tried to rape her, even though he didn't succeed, the thought alone was unacceptable. She barely made it over to the toilet before releasing, in full force, the contents her stomach. When she was done, she wet a towel and cautiously dabbed in a few places, being careful not to destroy too much of the evidence against Elias.

Unable to look at the blood on her nightshirt any longer, Joss removed a fresh pair of panties and a pair of jeans from her bag and put them on. She removed the bloody sleep shirt and placed it into a plastic bag as evidence. She eased into a slouchy sweater, feeling every inch of the pain settling in her arms, and slipped into a pair of comfortable loafers. The top her head ached even more from where he'd pulled her hair, but she managed to brush it up into a ponytail. Joss walked out of the bathroom and slowly down the stairs, into the living room.

She removed her phone from the desk drawer next to the stairs. Joss thought long and hard before making a call to anyone. There was no one she could trust at the Precinct. Not only were they gunning for Elias, but now they were after her too. She thought about calling Detective Fusco. She could trust him, but HR had ways of getting to Fusco if they thought he was trying to hide something or knew anything.

The only two people she could trust to come to her aide were Finch and John, but she knew that John was going to be highly pissed at her for the foolish move she'd made to save Elias. And he would be right to be angry. This was one time she'd take his anger with a grain of salt.

By now, Detective Fusco and John were only twenty minutes away from the cabin. John had been dialing her number from the moment Finch told him where she was, but had gotten no response. Fusco could see the look in John's eyes. He was anxious and a afraid of what they might find when they get to the cabin.

_"Look, I'm sure she's fine John. Carter won't let a creepy bastard like Elias get the best of her. She can protect herself pretty damn good. Knowing Carter…she'll probably get the better of the son-of-a-bitch ass." _

Fusco was trying to take John's mind off her, but he didn't buy one word of what Fusco was saying, John new the truth, and it was about to come out.

_"No…she's not. She's not going to be fine Lionel. There's something you don't understand. Joss might find herself unable to fight back against Elias. There is more to that bastard than she could even begin to know." _

_"What the hell are you talking about? Detective Carter already know about his past. The son-of-a-bitch is a crime boss corrupting the city. What more is there to know?"_

_"There's more…believe me, there's more than that"_, John said as he turned to look at Fusco.

Finch was listening in on the conversation too. The more he heard, the more afraid he became for Detective Carter's survival at the hands of Carl Elias. He tried to interrupt John's conversation with Fusco, but to no avail.

_"Not now Finch. He needs to know everything. I'm not going to cover that son-of-bitch ass anymore. This has to stop. It has to stop now Finch!"_

_"Wait….what the hell are you saying? This is no time for bullshit. You need to tell me what the hell you're talking about! Carter's life is in danger and you two nutcrackers want to play hide and seek. You better start talking to me right now dammit!" _

Fusco was in no mood for any nonsense. This was serious, and saving Carter was at the top of his agenda.

_"Shut up and listen to me Lionel!"_ John shouted as he checked several firearms he had with him.

_"Elias isn't who you or anyone else thinks he is. Being a crime boss is just a cover to conceal what and who he really is._ _Carl Elias,_ _aka, Alonzo Benghetti, aka, Jeremy Tzchekslavich, raped a total of seven women, four in Italy and three in Russia. Of the seven women he brutally raped, one did not survive his attack. He beat her so bad, her family could barely recognize her. One of the seven women managed to escape, the other five was beaten and raped viciously. They survived, but two are in a mental hospital, two later committed suicide, and the other has never been heard from or seen to this day. No one know where she is, or if she's still alive." _

John held up a small handgun to make sure it was loaded. Detective Fusco could not believe what he was hearing. He could almost visualize images of Joss trying to fight Elias, and it scared the hell out of him. He continued to listen to John reveal all he knew about the real Carl Elias.

_"The four women he brutally raped in Italy, during the eighties, all survived and fingered him as their rapist. Tried and convicted, it was later overturned. He made a deal to turn state's evidence against the Manchini Mafia Crime Family. Elias received immunity and protection with a free pass to leave the country. And with a bounty on his head, leaving the country was a better choice. _

_"You're kidding me, right?"_ Fusco asked.

He could tell just by the way John looked at him that this was no joke. He listened quietly as John finished.

_"Elias later turned up in Russia in 1995, where he began working for a Russian Mob Family, under the assumed name of Jeremy Tzchekslavich. Ten months after he was there, he brutally beat and raped three women, one of them did not survive his attack. Again, his conviction… overturned, when he ratted out the Russian Mafia. He received police security under the country's protection program, and got away with murder. By then, Elias had learned the tricks of the trade to become his own crime boss under his new assumed name, Carl Elias, now operating here in New York. There have been no new cases of him raping and beating women for years. He managed to stay under the radar, but now, with him being alone with Joss in a secluded location, as they say Lionel…__**old habits die hard**__. She's in more danger than she realize._

Finch had heard enough. Everything John divulged about Elias was true and he knew it. He sat quietly, staring motionless, fighting back tears. Finch knew that this was not going to end well, and he felt guilty thinking that he'd led Detective Carter to a den of torture and possibly death. He blamed himself and made a promise that if Elias harmed her in any way, he would spend the rest of his life, and every cent to his name to put him away for life."

Detective Fusco could not believe what he'd just heard about Elias. The fear in his eyes was an understatement to what he was feeling in his guts. He looked across an open field and could see the cabin and lake in the distance.

_"I think we're close to the cabin. Look over there. Is that it?"_

John looked past Fusco, nodded, and prepared a few guns to fire at will if he had to. Fusco surpassed the speed limit and raced toward the exit to get onto the road leading to the cabin. A few seconds later, John's phone rang. It was Joss. He glanced at Fusco with a look on his face that told him the call was from Detective Carter.

_"Joss…!" _

There was a few seconds of silence…

_"Joss…talk to me…say something." _

John knew it was her...he could feel it.

_"John…I…"_

_"Joss!" _he shouted, anxiously looking over at Fusco. _"Are you all right? Tell me...Are you all right? Is that son-of-a-bitch Elias with you?!"_

He was not giving her time to say anything or answer his questions.

_"We're here babe, don't worry, we're here. Stay on the phone Joss, please…stay on the phone with me. I'm here." _

Finch, who had also heard the conversation, was as relieved as they were to hear her voice. He removed his glasses, reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he smiled and nodded his head in relief.

Detective Fusco turned onto the road leading up to the cabin.

_"Joss, listen to me, stay on the phone babe, we're pulling up to the cabin now. Open the door." _

John did not give Fusco time to stop the car. He could see her standing in the doorway of the cabin. He jumped out of the car and ran into her arms almost knocking her down. They held each other, not wanting to let go, not wanting to say anything, just savor the moment. John pecked her repeatedly with kisses on her face and head.

He apologized to her for not being there when she needed him. Joss was doing the same, apologizing for not listening to his advice about Elias. But all that mattered was that she was safe, and they were together. As if forgotten, Fusco stood in the doorway of the cabin smiling, but feeling a little left out, watching the two of them walk over to the couch and sit down. He followed them and stood before Joss with his head slanted to the side.

_"Fusco!"_ she shouted as if just noticing that he was there.

She jumped up from the couch and grabbed him. They looked at each other for a moment, smiling. Then he wrapped his arms around her tight and whispered in her ear.

_"Are you all right, partner?"_

_"With you here now, I sure am Fusco."_ she whispered in response.

John slid his hand in hers and pulled her back down close to him. Joss was trying not to look directly up at him, knowing that the bruises were very visible and he would not accept that at all. But John knew better. He placed his hand beneath her chin and slowly pushed her head back so that he could look at her face. The bruise stood out like a sore thumb. John reached for her arms, flipping them back and forth, expecting every inch. The bruises were undeniable, and a true indication of what she had endured at the hands of Elias.

The look in his eyes said it all. Joss looked over at Fusco and he knew what she was telling him to do without speaking a word. Fusco stood in front of John who was already standing and angrily scanning the room.

_"John, come on buddy, calm down. You're angry, but you've got to calm down, all right buddy?"_

John didn't hear anything at that moment. He was pissed and he wanted Elias. He looked down at Joss again. She was telling him to calm down. Telling him that she was all right, but John heard nothing.

_"Where is that son-of-a-bitch! Where is he Joss?!"_he shouted._ "He's upstairs isn't he?"_

John raced up the stairs, missing a few along the way as he leaped over them, with Fusco trailing behind him trying to keep up, but desperately gasping for air. When John reached the bedroom door, he kicked it open with force. What he saw, was not what he expected. Fusco had also made it to the door of the bedroom, and was leaning against the wall panting heavily.

Both men stood in silence staring at a battered and bruised Elias, leaning against the headboard of the bed, one arm cuffed, the other in a make-shift sling. They could see the pain all over his face. Elias was sweating profusely. John looked down at his legs. One was beneath the covers, the other on top, with a makeshift tourniquet holding up his swollen knee. He could see that his kneecap had been shattered by the bullet wound. John knew at that moment, she'd shown him mercy where he wouldn't have.

_…flashback…_

…Joss had indeed shown mercy to Elias. Before calling John, she attended to his gunshot wounds to stop the bleeding as much as she could. She'd given him three glasses of Vodka to numb the pain. He didn't feel a thing when she removed the bullet from his arm. The bullet in his knee was embedded too deep, and she couldn't reach it. Joss didn't do it because she cared. She did it because she wanted him to stay alive so that he would finally be brought to justice, and get what he deserved. She angrily vowed to Elias that she'd be sitting on the front row in the courtroom when the jury find him guilty and the judge hand down his sentence. After she'd stopped the flow of blood, Joss held the gun on Elias while he positioned himself on the bed. She cuffed his other arm to the rod in the headboard, and threw cover over him before walking out of the room…

John was ready to turn around and walk out without touching Elias, until he began to speak. He could tell from his slurred speech that Elias was drunk as hell.

_"Well, well, well…her __**white**__…knight…has arrived! How fucking sweet!... Tell me… John…! have you had a chance to… __**fuck**__… her yet? I have, John! …and I can tell you this…she fuckin' enjoyed it! Yeah, she begged…begged me for more John! Begged…!"_

The sinister grin was more than John could take. He charged over and grabbed Elias by his throat, and began choking him to almost unconsciousness. Fusco ran over and tried to pull him away from Elias.

_"John! Come on buddy, calm down."_ Fusco said as he grabbed his arm.

John turned and stared at Fusco. His eyes were filled with rage and a dark, spine chilling coldness.

_"Get your damn hands off me Lionel! That bastard put his hands on her, do you understand that?! He put his hands on her!"_

By then, Joss had entered the bedroom. She ran over and grabbed his arm and started pulling John away from Elias.

_"John! Don't'! Please…he can't hurt me anymore, please. Not this way…not like this John. He didn't rape me. I can live with that. Please…not like this. Come on, let's get out of here." _

Her calm voice seemed to be all it took to tap into the darkness of his mind that had been unleashed. John turned and looked at her, his eyes, although filled with tears, was filled with more anger and rage. She grabbed John's arm and they walked out of the bedroom. She knew how to tame the raging anger inside him.

Elias was gasping for air and coughing. Fusco walked up to him with a snicker on his face and aimed his gun at his head.

_"Say it! Badass!…that's all you have to do, and I'll make your fuckin' wish come true for you!" _

Elias closed his eyes in fear. Death would not come easy for him because he really wasn't ready to die.

_"That's what I thought, sick bastard."_ Fusco said as he lowered the gun and walked out of the room.

It was almost four in the morning. They had to figure out what to do with Elias. He needed immediate medical attention. With HR trying to kill him, they knew that they couldn't call anyone from the Precinct. John had just finished talking to Finch, who suggested that they contact the Internal Affairs Agency using the access code and number he'd sent to John's phone. Someone would be waiting for their call.

Meanwhile, Fusco had called in assistance from the FBI, and they'd dispatched an emergency team to meet them at the cabin. With his identity still in question, John agreed to make himself scarce. Finch was on his way and would meet John a mile down the road from the cabin. They decided to wait nearby until the smoke cleared. Finch had informed John that he would drive him and the Detective to another hideout about an hour away from the cabin. This place was also secluded, but heavily secured, and one in which Finch frequented often. Transportation would be available for them at the location.

Finch, along with his contact within the IA Agency, wanted to be sure that Detective Carter would remain safe from HR crooked cops during the investigation, especially when the investigation gets underway. There was no way she would be safe at her apartment, and would definitely not be safe at work. The contact within the Agency affirmed that they would contact Detective Carter only through Finch, and she was not to accept any calls from HR or the Precinct during the investigation.

John and Finch knew that all hell would break loose once HR discovered that they were under investigation. The sooner they could get Joss to safety, the better. As for Elias, they could only hope nothing happened to him while in the custody of FBI Agents, until he could be tried and convicted for his crimes.

Joss did not want John to leave, but he assured her that he wouldn't be too far away. John told her to gather up everything and be ready when he return, he'd explain everything to her later. It seemed to have taken forever for the FBI Agents and paramedics to arrive at the cabin. For almost an hour, FBI Agents grilled Joss for answers to what had occurred in the cabin earlier.

By the time paramedics finished pricking and prodding her body to gather as much evidence as they could, while it was still fresh, she felt like a rag doll. Because Elias did not rape her, no internal exam was needed, but they suggested that she get checked by her doctor within the next seventy-two hours, if not sooner.

After it was over and everyone, except Detective Fusco, had cleared the scene, the cabin was eerily quiet. Because of the amount of blood he'd lost, and extensive swelling in both places where he'd been shot, Elias was in the air on his way to the hospital with one of the Agents in tow, making sure HR could not get to him.

Joss called John and he assured her that they were their way to get her. Fusco had agreed to remain behind until they could get there. She looked around and couldn't believe that a place so beautiful could end with such an ugly memory. Joss had had enough of that place and was ready to get the hell out of there.

_"Oh, Sinnerman, where you gonna run to? Sinnerman, where you gonna run to? Where you gonna run to? All along dem day."_

**Episode 5: A Time to Heal**

**Synopsis:** After Finch and John arrive at the cabin to pick up Joss, he explains everything to her. She cannot believe what is happening, but know that she will be safe as long as Finch, John and Internal Affairs are involved. This time, she will definitely take John's advice and stay put. As the days pass, Joss try to cope with serious emotional issues and nightmares, as John struggles to help her get through her emotions. Then she discovers, soon after she makes a visit to her doctor as the paramedics suggested, there is something else brewing beneath the surface that the two of them must discuss. Lots of twists, turns and changes are definitely in store for them.


End file.
